Fuel feed devices for internal combustion engines

ABSTRACT

Several valves supplied by a source of fuel under pressure are each actuated by an electromagnet energized over a variable fraction of each revolution of a rotary member driven by the engine. The energizing current passes through a distributor constituted by a light source, two photodiodes and electronic gates, the rotary member allowing the light source to illuminate or not the photodiodes according to its angular position.

United States Patent [191 Mennesson 1M3l'cll 13, 1973 FUEL FEED DEVICESFOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Inventor:

[75] Andre Louis Mennesson, Neuillysur-Seine, France SocieteIndustrielle de Brevets et dEtudes S.I.B.E., Neuillysur Seine, FranceFiled: May 24, 1971 Appl.'No.: 146,029

Assignee:

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 5, 1970 France ..7020853 US.Cl. ..123/32 EA, 123/119 R InLCl ..F02m 51/00 Field of Search.....l23/32EA, 32 AB, 119 R, 139 AW, 123/148 E, 146.5 A, 32,119

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 3,522,794 8/1970 Reichardt..123/32 EA 3,543,739 12/1970 Mennesson ....l23/32 EA 3,430,616 3/1969Glockler et a1 ..123/32 EA Primary Examiner-Laurence M. GoodridgeAssistant Examiner-Cort R. Flint Att0rneyStevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher[57] ABSTRACT Several valves supplied by a source of fuel under pressureare each actuated by an electromagnet energized over a variable fractionof each revolution of a rotary member driven by the engine. Theenergizing current passes through a distributor constituted by a lightsource, two photodiodes and electronic gates, the rotary member allowingthe light source to illuminate or not the photodiodes according to itsangular position.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing; Figures PATENTEDHAR 1 31975- sum 1 0F 2 INVENTORBWSI'M zfi /knr ATTO R N EY FUEL FEED DEVICES FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES The invention relates to fuel feed devices, for internalcombustion engines, of the type of those which comprise, on one hand, intheir intake pipe, upstream of a main throttle member actuated by thedriver, an auxiliary throttle member which is opened automatically andprogressively in proportion as the flow of air in the said pipeincreases and on the other hand, means for injecting liquid fuel underpressure into the portion of this pipe situated downstream of the mainthrottle member and, on the other hand lastly, a metering systemsensitive to the position of the auxiliary throttle member and adaptedto regulate the flow rate of the injected fuel in such a way that therichness of the air/fuel mixture passing into the intake pipe issubstantially constant, at least for certain conditions of operation ofthe engine, the abovesaid injection means being constituted by a sourceof fuel under pressure of which the delivery circuit, opening into theabovesaid portion of the intake pipe, is controlled by several valveseach actuated by an electromagnet.

The invention relates more particularly to those of the devices of thetype concerned which have been described in United States patent ofApplicant US. Pat. No. 3,543,739, and of which the abovesaid meteringsystem comprises a member driven in continuous rotation by the internalcombustion engine, and capable, by acting on the energizing of eachelectromagnet, of determining over a fraction only of each of its turnsthe opening of the valve actuated by this electromagnet, the systembeing arranged so that it increases the said fraction in proportion asthe opening of the auxiliary throttle member increases and vice-versa.

The invention relates more particularly, but not exclusively, amongthese devices, to those of which the abovesaid continuously rotatingmember comprises means adapted to emit, towards a stationary receiver aflow of energy during a fraction of a turn of which member the valuevaries as a function of the relative positions of the rotary member andof the receiver, this receiver being arranged so that it creates anenergizing current for the abovesaid electromagnets according as itreceives or not the flow of energy, and the auxiliary throttle memberbeing arranged to modify the relative positions of the rotary member andof the receiver the means emitting the flow of energy being capable ofbeing a light source and the receiver a photosensitive element such as aphotodiode, the light source and the photosensitive element beingarranged on opposite sides of the abovesaid rotary member which isarranged as an opaque screen pierced by at least one aperture to enablethe illumination of the photosensitive element.

The rotary member is advantageously constituted by a flat and opaquedisc perpendicular to its axis of rotation, the stationary receiverbeing such that it can be brought nearer or spaced further from thisaxis.

United States patent of Applicant US. Pat. No. 3,543,739, describesparticularly, for internal combustion engines having several cylinders(or groups of cylinders) which are each supplied by a valve actuated byits individual electromagnet, a feed device comprising a distributorsynchronized with said rotary member to send successively theintermittent energizing current into the various electromagnets.

The distributor described in more detail comprises moving mechanicalparts, producing wear and noise and being relatively bulky.

It is an object of the present improvements to overcome these drawbacks.

To this end, the fuel feed device according to the principal patent,which comprises a distributor synchronized with the rotary member tosend successively the intermittent energizing current into the variouselectromagnets, is characterized by the fact that the distributor isconstituted by at least one assembly comprising a light source, aphotosensitive element and electronic gates, the light source and thephotosensitive element being arranged on opposite sides of the rotarymember so that the latter, according to its angular posi tion,interrupts or not the luminous beam between the light source and thephotosensitive element and the assembly being such that thisphotosensitive element directs or not, according as it is illuminated ornot, a control current towards the gates so that the latter, in theirturn, direct the energizing current successively towards the variouselectromagnets.

According to the above-indicated preferred embodiment where the meteringsystem comprises a light source and a photosensitive element arranged onopposite sides of the rotary member arranged as an opaque screen piercedby apertures to enable the illumination of this photosensitive elementduring a fraction of a turn of the rotary member which depends on theposition of the auxiliary throttle member, the feed device is inaddition, characterized by the fact that the photosensitive element ofthe metering system acts in combination with the photosensitive elementof the distributor to control the gates of the distributor.

The invention will, in any case, be well understood with the aid of thesupplementary description which follows, as well as of the accompanyingdrawings, which supplement and drawings relate to a preferredembodiment, given purely by way of illustrative and non-limitingexample.

In the drawings FIG. 1 shows, in diagrammatic elevation with portions insection, a feed device constructed according to the invention FIG. 2shows a section of the device along the line IIII ofFlG. l

FIG. 3 shows the electronic circuit of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2and lastly,

FIG. 4 shows the voltage levels at various points of FIG. 3.

According to the invention and. more particularly according to those ofits methods of application, as well as according to those of its methodsof production of its various parts, to which it would seem thatpreference should be given, in order to construct a fuel feed device fori.c. engines, for vehicles or the like, procedure is as follows or inanalogous manner.

As regards the device as a whole, it is constituted in any suitablemanner such that it comprises (FIGS. 1 and 2) on one hand, in its intakepipe 1, upstream of the main throttle member 2 actuated by the driver,an auxiliary throttle member 3 which is opened automatically andprogressively in proportion as the flow rate of the air in the pipe 1increases, the direction of flow being indicated by the arrow F in FIG.1.

on the other hand, means for injecting liquid fuel under pressure intothe portion of the pipe 1 situated downstream of the main throttlemember 2 and on the other hand lastly, a metering system sensitive tothe position of the auxiliary throttle member 3 and adapted to regulatein such a manner the flow of fuel injected that the richness of theair/fuel mixture passing into the pipe 1 is substantially constant, atleast for certain conditions of operation of the engine.

In the embodiment shown, the auxiliary throttle member 3 is constitutedby a butterfly valve keyed on an axle 4. This butterfly valve isactuated by a pneumatic device comprising a diaphragm 5 separating twochambers 6 and 7 from one another. The chamber 6 is connected through achannel 8 to a chamber 9 constituted by the section of the pipe 1 whichis comprised between the main throttle member 2 and the valve 3. Theaxle 4 is rigidly fixed to a lever 10 provided,at its free end, with apin 11 which cooperates with the end of a rod 12, which is connected tothe diaphragm 5. A spring 13 constantly tends to close the valve 3against the action of the suction transmitted into the chamber 6. Thechamber 7 is placed at atmospheric pressure through a passage 14starting preferably from the air intake 15 of the pipe 1.

Of course the angular position taken up at any moment inside the pipe 1by the valve 3 corresponds to the flow rate of the air in this pipe. Thegreater the flow rate of the air, the more the valve 3 is opened, asubstantially constant suction (or varying according to thecharacteristics of the spring 13) being established in the chamber 9comprised between the two throttle members 2 and 3. The valve 3 could bereplaced by equivalent throttle members, of which examples have beendescribed in United States patent of Applicant US. Pat. No. 3,543,739.

The abovesaid injection means are constituted by a source of fuel underpressure (not shown) of which the delivery circuit, opening into thepipe 1 downstream of the main throttle member 2, is controlled by valvessuch as 16 each actuated by an electromagnet 17.

The metering system is made to comprise a flat and opaque disc 18 whichis borne by a shaft 19 connected to the internal combustion engine (notshown) supplied by the device, so that the disc is rotated continuouslyaround an axis perpendicular to its plane. The disc 18 is interposedbetween a light source 20 and a photodiode 21 borne by a common support22 connected to the auxiliary throttle member 3 and it is pierced byapertures 23 adapted to allow the beam emerging from the source 20 toreach the photodiode 21. The photodiode 21 is arranged to create or notan energizing current for the electromagnet 17 according as it isilluminated or not and the assembly is such that this current is createdover a fraction of each of the turns of the disc 18 which varies in thesame sense as the degree of opening of the throttle member 3.

The light source 20 can be constituted by a lamp which is adapted to besupplied by a battery 24 as soon as the ignition switch 25 of the engineis closed and which is arranged in a hollow boss 26 pierced by a hole.This hole is oriented so as to direct a light beam onto the photodiode21, through a hole passing through a hollow boss 27 where the saidphotodiode is housed.

In the embodiment shown, the bosses 26 and 27 are caused to be borne bythe ends of the U-shaped support 22 which straddles the disc 18 so thatthe source 20 and the photodiode 21 occur on both sides of the disc andwhich is rigidly fixed to the axle 4, the latter being parallel to theshaft 19 as well as to the light beam received by the photodiode 21.

To apply the currents generated in the photodiode 21, there isinterposed between the latter and the electromagnet 17, a distributorand am amplifier 28.

The distributor 70 is synchronized with the disc 18 to send successivelythe intermittent energizing current into the different electromagnets,the disc possessing as many apertures 23 as cylinders or groups ofcylinders to be supplied. These apertures are distributed regularlyaround the shaft 19 and each has a shape such that the fraction of aturn during which it normally enables the photodiode 21 to beilluminated increases in proportion as the throttle member 3 is opened,that is to say (in the embodiment shown) in proportion as the bosses 26,27 approach the shaft 19.

Of course the feed device which has just been described has thefollowing operation.

In proportion as the flow rate of the air in the pipe 1 increases, thethrottle member 3 is opened thereby driving the support 22 in the sensewhich brings the bosses 26 and 27 closer to the shaft 19. Each of thepositions of these bosses corresponds to a different radius of the disc18.

Since the shape of each aperture 23 has been determined in such a waythat the fraction of a turn of disc 18 during which it allows the lightray to pass, emerging from the source 20, to the photodiode 21 increasesin proportion as the latter elements approach the shaft 19, it isensured that the flow rate of the fuel delivered by each injection valve16 varies in the same sense as the flow rate of the air in the pipe 1.

Having recalled this and according to the present improvements, in thecase where it is desired to associate with the distributor 70, twoelectromagnets 17 (as shown in FIG. 3) or two groups of suchelectromagnets, the distributor is made to comprise two AND gates 71 and72. Onto each of these gates, there is sent, on one hand, through twoconductors 73 and 74, the electrical signal supplied by the photodiode21 and, on the other hand, by two conductors 75 and 76, the electricalsignal furnished by a second photodiode 77 which is fixed opposite asecond light source 78, so that the disc 18 placed between the source 78and the photodiode 77 can or cannot interrupt the lightbeam emergingfrom the source 78, according to its angular position. To this end, thedisc 18 can be constituted by two semicircles of different diametersconnected by steps 79 and the photodiode 77 and the source 78 can besituated at the level of the outer edge of the disc 18 as shown in FIGS.1 and 2.

The electrical signal furnished by the photodiode 77 is sent directlythrough the conductor 75 onto the gate 71 and, by means of an inverter80, onto the gate 72 the outputs e and f of the gates 71 and 72 areamplified by the amplifier 28 and the amplified current is applied totwo electromagnets 17 through conductors 81 and 82.

The operation of the distributor is explained by means of FIG. 4 wherethere have been shown, as a function of time t, the voltages at thepoints a, b, c, d, e and f. The voltages a and b are those of thecurrents provided respectively from photodiodes 21 and 77 and enteringthe gate 71. The voltages c and d are those of the currents entering thegate 72, the first coming from the photodiode 21 and the second coming,after having been inverted, from the photodiode 77.

If the photodiode 21 is not illuminated (segments a a and a a the twogates 71 and 72 are blocked and no current circulates in the conductors81 and 82 (segments e 3 e e ;f 5 ;f.,-f 1f the photodiode 21 isilluminated, on account of the inverter 80, one only of the gates 71 and72 delivers an electrical signal to the point e or f according as thephotodiode 77 is illuminated or not. More specifically, when thephotodiode 77 is illuminated, it passes a current at b,- b the gate 71allows the current emerging from the photodiode 21 to pass, as shown ate e on the contrary, when the photodiode 77 is not illuminated, the gate72 allows the current emerging from the photodiode 21 to pass, as seenatf f Consequently, current flows in the conductor 81 or 82 and one ofthe valves 16 is open. Thus as has been shown in FIG. 4, it is arrangedfor the change of state of the photodiode 77 to be effected alwayswhilst the photodiode 21 is not illuminated. The time of opening of thevalve 16 must only be controlled by the time of illumination of thephotodiode 21.

There has thus been provided a simple current distributing device whichcould be easily adapted to the case where it would be necessary todistribute the current over a number of channels greater than two. Itsuffices to provide a number of fixed photodiodes such as 77 and of ANDgates such as 71 and 72 equal to the number of channels. The electricalcurrent in one channel is then obtained by simultaneous illumination ofthe movable photodiode 21 and the fixed photodiode such as 77corresponding to the channel.

As is self-evident and as emerges already from the foregoing, theinvention is in no way limited to those of its methods of application,nor to those of its methods of production of its various parts, whichhave been more especially indicated it encompasses, on the contrary, allvariations.

I claim 1. Fuel feed device, for an internal combustion engine, whichcomprises, in its intake pipe, upstream of a main throttle memberactuated by the driver, an auxiliary throttle member which is openedautomatically and progressively in proportion as the air flow in thesaid pipe increases, means for injecting under pressure liquid fuel intothe portion of this pipe situated downstream of the main throttle memberand a metering system sensitive to the position of the auxiliarythrottle member and adapted to regulate the flow of fuel injected insuch a way that the richness of the air/fuel mixture passing into theintake pipe is substantially constant, at least for certain conditionsof operation of the engine, said injection means being constituted by asource of fuel under pressure of which the delivery circuit, openinginto said portion of the intake pipe, is controlled by several valveseach actuated by an electromagnet, the metering system comprising alight source and a photo-sensitive element arranged on opposite sides ofa rotary member driven in continuous rotation by the internal combustionengine and adapted as an opa que shutter pierced bywindows to enable theillumination of said photosensitive element during a fraction of a turnof the rotary member which fraction depends on the position of theauxiliary throttle member, said system being arranged so that itincreases said fraction in proportion as the opening of the auxiliarythrottle member increases and vice-versa, which fuel feed devicecomprises a distributor synchronized with the rotary member to sendsuccessively the intermittent energizing current into the variouselectromagnets, characterized by the fact that the distributor isconstituted by at least one assembly comprising a light source, aphoto-sensitive element and electronic gates, the light source andphoto-sensitive element being arranged on opposite sides of the rotarymember so that the latter, according to its angular position, interruptsor not the light beam between the light source and the photo-sensitiveelement, said assembly being adapted to cause said latter photosensitiveelement to direct, according as it is illuminated or not, a controlcurrent towards the gates so that the latter, in their turn, direct theenergizing current successively towards the various electromagnets, thephoto-sensitive element of the metering system acting in com-binationwith the photosensitive element of the distributor to control the gatesof the distributor.

2. Fuel feed device according to claim 1 comprising two electronic gatesof the AND type, with two inputs, the rotary member possessing twowindows displaced by 280 and the photosensitive elements beingphotodiodes, the photodiode of the metering system and that of the oneor more of the above-mentioned assemblies both having their outputsconnected to the inputs of the AND gates, the output of the photodiodeof the metering system being connected directly onto the input of one ofthe AND gates and by way of an inverter onto the input of the other ANDgate and the outputs of the AND gates being connected respectively totwo electromagnets or groups of electromagnets.

1. Fuel feed device, for an internal combustion engine, which comprises, in its intake pipe, upstream of a main throttle member actuated by the driver, an auxiliary throttle member which is opened automatically and progressively in proportion as the air flow in the said pipe increases, means for injecting under pressure liquid fuel into the portion of this pipe situated downstream of the main throttle member and a metering system sensitive to the position of the auxiliary throttle member and adapted to regulate the flow of fuel injected in such a way that the richness of the air/fuel mixture passing into the intake pipe is substantially constant, at least for certain conditions of operation of the engine, said injection means being constituted by a source of fuel under pressure of which the delivery circuit, opening into said portion of the intake pipe, is controlled by several valves each actuated by an electromagnet, the metering system comprising a light source and a photo-sensitive element arranged on opposite sides of a rotary member driven in continuous rotation by the internal combustion engine and adapted as an opaque shutter pierced by windows to enable the illumination of said photo-sensitive element during a fraction of a turn of the rotary member which fraction depends on the position of the auxiliary throttle member, said system being arranged so that it increases said fraction in proportion as the opening of the auxiliary throttle member increases and vice-versa, which fuel feed device comprises a distributor synchronized with the rotary member to send successively the intermittent energizing current into the various electromagnets, characterized by the fact that the distributor is constituted by at least one assembly comprising a light source, a photo-sensitive element and electronic gates, the light source and photo-sensitive element being arranged on opposite sides of the rotary member so that the latter, according to its angular position, interrupts or not the light beam between the light source and the photo-sensitive element, said assembly being adapted to cause said latter photo-sensitive element to direct, according as it is illuminated or not, a control current towards the gates so that the latter, in their turn, direct the energizing current successively towards the various electromagnets, the photo-sensitive element of the metering system acting in com-bination with the photo-sensitive element of the distributor to control the gates of the distributor.
 1. Fuel feed device, for an internal combustion engine, which comprises, in its intake pipe, upstream of a main throttle member actuated by the driver, an auxiliary throttle member which is opened automatically and progressively in proportion as the air flow in the said pipe increases, means for injecting under pressure liquid fuel into the portion of this pipe situated downstream of the main throttle member and a metering system sensitive to the position of the auxiliary throttle member and adapted to regulate the flow of fuel injected in such a way that the richness of the air/fuel mixture passing into the intake pipe is substantially constant, at least for certain conditions of operation of the engine, said injection means being constituted by a source of fuel under pressure of which the delivery circuit, opening into said portion of the intake pipe, is controlled by several valves each actuated by an electromagnet, the metering system comprising a light source and a photo-sensitive element arranged on opposite sides of a rotary member driven in continuous rotation by the internal combustion engine and adapted as an opaque shutter pierced by windows to enable the illumination of said photo-sensitive element during a fraction of a turn of the rotary member which fraction depends on the position of the auxiliary throttle member, said system being arranged so that it increases said fraction in proportion as the opening of the auxiliary throttle member increases and viceversa, which fuel feed device comprises a distributor synchronized with the rotary member to send successively the intermittent energizing current into the various electromagnets, characterized by the fact that the distributor is constituted by at least one assembly comprising a light source, a photosensitive element and electronic gates, the light source and photo-sensitive element being arranged on opposite sides of the rotary member so that the latter, according to its angular position, interrupts or not the light beam between the light source and the photo-sensitive element, said assembly being adapted to cause said latter photo-sensitive element to direct, according as it is illuminated or not, a control current towards the gates so that the latter, in their turn, direct the energizing current successively towards the various electromagnets, the photo-sensitive element of the metering system acting in com-bination with the photo-sensitive element of the distributor to control the gates of the distributor. 